







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| I can't imagine myself being on a plane for that long! | |
| No, we drain pasta with a grater. | |
| Okay, here we are, this is Honeybrook Street. | |
| I guess you need to change your cooking plan now! | |
| Oh yeah, it's our girls' night out tonight. | |
| You need to press the button down and turn it right. | |
| He is the bartender. | |
| This is my boyfriend, Mike. | |
| You can ask whatever you want to know. | |
| What's your favourite movie? | |
| Maybe we can get something on the way to the station. | |
| Yes, she is coming back, but isn't it what I always do? | |
| Then he finds out he is a robot, not a real kid. | |
| No, they live in Australia. | |
| I don't think it's normal, do you think it's normal? | |
| That's bad, do you have a cold? | |
| We don't have that system in Brighton yet. | |
| It's the second one from the top. | |
| Isn't Morrison's closer? | |
| No, but it's not good for him to take the stairs up and down everyday. | |